Refrigerator-car.



H. FRIES.

REFRIGERATOR GAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..20,1911.

Patented 0Gt.31,191 1.

sir-Arias PATENT OFFICE.

' HERMAN rmns'or. mcniean crrY, INDIANA.

' REFRIGERATOR-CAB.

Speelficationof Letters ratent. Patented Oct. 31,4911. Applicationflledliarch 20, 1911. Serial No. 615,733.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN Pnms, a citizen of the United States, andresident of.

Michigan City, county of Laporte, and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator-Cars, of which thefollowing is a specification, and which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. The invention relat tomeans for effect ing the drainage of the ice tanks of refrigerator cars;its object being to provide a valve controlled drainage out et soarranged that the cover to the .tank can be applied to its seat onlywhen the valve is closed V The practice heretofore prevailing has beento permit the free discharge of water from the tankswhen a certain levelhas been reached by the melting of the ice. As a consequence there hasbeen a continuous dripping of the salt-impregnated water in transit, tothe detriment of the track and its appurtenances.

. By the IHtI'OdHCfiOH Of a cock inthe drainage outlet and thearrangement of its handle as now proposed, the drainage will occur ionly when the tank is opened and the valve turned. This will ordinarilybe done only in connection with the icing of the tank, and consequentlyat a place where the water discharge can be conveniently conveyed away 5without detriment to the track.

' tank.

' The invention further prevents carelessness' on the part of employees,compelling them to close the valve before sealing the 'ith these objectsin viewtheinvention consists in a structure such as is hereinafterdescribed and illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in which thevalve stem is of en cient length to project above the top of the tankand's jointed to permit the upper end to be folded to lie below the tankcover,

. the extension above the joint, however, be-

ing of such length with reference to the width ofthe. tank that it cannot be folded to horizontal position except when the valve is closed. 7

In the drawings-Figurc 1 is a detail transverse section of a car throughthe ice tanks; Fig. 2 is adetail plan viewof' a portion of the carshowing the tops of the ice tanks; Fig. '3 is a the valve stem and Fig.4 is a plan section of the drainage cock.

The body of the car is represented at 10,

detail perspective view of and there is shown two pairs of ice tanks 11,12, and 13, 14, arranged transversely of the car. -The tanks of eachpair are spaced apart, as shown, and are connectedby a drainage pipe 15,having a discharge nipple 16 within which is located a two-way valve17.. The stem 18 ofthe valve extends upwardlyiabove the top of the car,and is jointed, as shown at 19, at the top of the tanks and below thelevel both tanks of the-pair.

That portion 21 of the valve stem which is above the joint 19 is of-suchlength and is so disposed that it cannot be foldedrdown valve is closed.T his'is acrel'atively so positioning the tend beyond the cover seat,thereby prevent-.

ing the adjustment of the c'mter, but when folded longitudinally of thetank it will not reach to the end of the cover seat. Furthermore, grippiece 22 or 23, which is so directed that it lies in horizontal positionwhen the stem of the lid 20 which'covers to horizontal position belowthe lid'20 ex that the joint19'of the latthe stem is provided with ahandle or is folded down only when the valve is closed.

This disposition of the handle or grip member would effectively preventthe placing of the cover even if the '11 per section of the stem were soshort that .it' would fold below the cover seat when transverse of thetank. This form of grip member has the further advantage that when thecover is opened it forms an obstruction to the entrance of-ice untilraised, thereby calling the attention of the attendant to cock is notopen. Either form of grip member, that shown at 22, which'consists of across-bar. at the upper end of the' stem, or thatshown. at 23, which isa mere lateral projection of the stem in one direction, may be used. 5Ilclaim as my invention- 1. In a car,. in combination, an icetank havingan oblong opening at its top, a-lid for covering such opening, a draincock for the tank, a stem above the tank and being jointed below thecover seat, the lengthof the stem above the joint being greater than thedistance from the joint to the side. of the tank opening the factthat-the drain and less than the distance from the joint to the end ofthe tank opening, the valveand stem being so related that the valve isclosed when the stem folds lengthwise of the tank opening. 7

2. In a car, in combination, an ice tank, a cover therefor, a drain cockfor the tank,

p a jointed stem for the drain cock, such stem extending above the coverseat, its upper end being adapted to fold below the cover seat only"when the drain cock is closed.

3. In a car, in combination, an ice tank having an oblong opening at itstop, a lid for covering such opening, a drain cock for the tank, a stemfor above the tank and being jointed below the cover seat, the length ofthe stem above the joint being greater than the distance from the jointto the side of the tank opening the cock extending inoaeee and less thanthe distance from the joint to the end of the tank opening, the valveand stem being so related that the valve is closed when the stem foldslengthwise of the tank opening, the stem havin a laterally projectinggrip-piece so disposed that it is transverse to the tank opening whenthe valve is closed.

4. In a car, in combination, a tank, a

cover for the tank, a drain cock for the JNo. W. ConLsoN, W 40. Roemson.

